Tryfan #14

The story behind this image

The spring of 2018 wasn't known for nice weather, with freezing snow from the east the order of the day in Snowdonia, North Wales.

But towards the end of March the conditions improved for a brief period, which was all the encouragement my wife Liz and I needed to head to the mountains for some much needed fresh air and exercise.

The exercise took the form of a hike up from Llyn Ogwen to the shores of Llyn Idwal, one of the most popular hikes in Snowdonia.

There's a good reason why this particular route is so popular, with spectacular scenery in every direction.

One of the outstanding views along the path is of the Glyderau mountain range, including Britain's favourite peak, Tryfan, pictured here under its usual crown of cloud.

What drew my eye to this particular view was the contrast between the brightly lit foreground rocks and the shadowy, brooding menace of Tryfan in the background.

This juxtaposition of dark and light, called chiaroscuro lighting, really adds drama and mood to the image, and gives it a depth of meaning that would be missing if every part of the landscape was evenly lit.